Media Bytes: Rangers Rise on CJ's Trade Board, Kaplan on Blueshirts' Direction, Panarin in Teal?
In this special early edition of Media Bytes, the fallout from The Letter 2.0 dominates the league conversation—putting Panarin, Trocheck, and even Lafrenière squarely on the NHL’s trade radar.
Welcome back to Media Bytes, a weekly column from Blueshirt Banter. Every Sunday, we’ll help you start the week right with a quick catch-up on the latest stories and developments around the New York Rangers and the broader NHL media landscape.
Today we're bringing you a special early edition of Media Bytes, because this week's media cycle has been red hot and it's only Tuesday. So, enjoy this extra edition, and we'll be back with you again on Sunday with more.
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Big Rangers Names Join The Big Board
1. In the aftermath of last week’s The Letter 2.0, The Athletic's Chris Johnston updated his trade board, and the Rangers are suddenly all over it. As of Monday, "The Big Board" features four Blueshirts players: Artemi Panarin at No. 1 overall, Vincent Trocheck up to No. 6, along with Carson Soucy and Brennan Othmann.
Johnston notes that Panarin is the kind of elite talent who is "rarely traded in the middle of the season," but given the reality outlined in The Letter 2.0, it stands to reason the Rangers may prefer to move him on his terms rather than risk losing him for nothing. Trocheck, meanwhile, is viewed league-wide as a leader and represents a significant chip "for them to play in the retool."
Soucy, acquired at the 2025 trade deadline, is labeled a "prime candidate" to be flipped again, with Johnston pointing to his prototypical shutdown profile and proven playoff experience in both Seattle and Vancouver. As for Othmann, his status hasn’t materially changed since first appearing on the board earlier this year. The Rangers continue to gauge the market, but there's no urgency to move him unless the return justifies it.
